News about the Economy & Employment

A commitment to full employment and a more transparent process to provide market certainty are the hallmarks of Labour’s proposals for a new approach to monetary policy, says Labour’s Finance spokesperson Grant Robertson.

An OECD report released today, highlighting the need for increased support for workers who are made redundant, is a strong endorsement of the direction of Labour’s Future of Work Commission, says Labour’s Employment spokesperson Grant Robertson.

“We welcome the OECD’s report which closely aligns with the conclusions that Labour’s own Future of Work commission announced last year.

The importance of Labour’s youth employment policies to New Zealand’s future has been highlighted by new figures showing over 90,000 young Kiwis are not in employment, education or training, says Labour’s skills and training spokesperson Jenny Salesa.

“According to the latest Household Labour Force figures, there are more young people not earning or learning than the population of a city the size of Palmerston North.

The minimum wage increase announced today will be cold comfort to thousands of New Zealanders struggling to pay their rent or mortgage, says Labour’s Workplace Relations spokesperson Iain Lees-Galloway.

“Fifty cents an hour simply is not enough to keep up with the enormous increases in housing costs that many New Zealanders currently face. A 3.3 per cent increase in wages is nothing when rents went up by 5.8 per cent last year and house prices rose by 12.5 per cent.

The Government is dragging its feet while working New Zealanders are still missing up to $2.3 billion collectively owed to them through underpaid holiday pay entitlements, Labour’s Economic Development spokesperson David Clark says.

“The cover was blown on this issue in September last year yet today at the Commerce Select Committee, MBIE chief executive David Smol conceded that the Government has no timeline for fixing the problem of up to $2.3 billion in underpaid wages in New Zealand workplaces.

A big focus of my leadership of the Labour Party has been about creating more opportunities for young people. It’s only by giving people the freedom to achieve their goals that we can ensure they get a shot at the Kiwi dream.

If you look at the policies we’ve launched in the last two years – three years free tertiary education, dole for apprenticeships, building 100,000 affordable homes for first home buyers, entrepreneur grants for young people – they’re about creating opportunities for people that they increasingly don’t have under the current government.

City and district councils must ensure they don’t rush into trading on Easter Sunday ahead of local body elections next month, Labour’s Pacific Islands Affairs spokesperson Su’a William Sio says.

“This decision must be taken seriously and only after extensive consultation with local communities. Councils that agree to Easter Trading will be giving away one of only three-and-a-half days families are guaranteed to be able to spend together without the pressure of work.